Our Catlzolic Heritage in T ezas
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to Congress. On February 8, 1830, he read his famous lniciativa (Pro- posal) to a secret session of Congress, calling for a law incorporating the recommendations of Teran and adding a fourth measure, the pro- hibition of further immigration to Texas from the United States. The danger of losing the province loomed large in the mind of Mexican statesmen at this time. In urging the passage of the proposed law, Alaman purposely dwelt at length on the dissatisfaction of the colonists and their habitual evasion of all laws which interfered with their con- venience. He declared that they had ignored the religious requirement, and that they had continued to introduce slaves in spite of repeated laws against it. 52 Congress passed a bill on April 6, 1830, incorporating all the recommendations and authorizing the measures necessary to put them into effect. No sooner was the law passed than Bustamante appointed Teran federal commissioner to put it into execution. Teran turned his atten- tion immediately to the reinforcement of the defenses of the province. He strengthened the garrisons at San Antonio, Goliad, and Nacogdoches and established new posts at Anahuac at the head of Galveston Bay, Velasco at the mouth of the Brazos, Lipantitlan at the mouth of the Nueces, and Tenoxtitlan at the point where the Bexar-Nacogdoches road crossed the Brazos. A glance at the map of Texas will reveal how strategically located these points were. The new garrisons surrounded the colonies and effectively guarded all approaches to them. Thi:; was the only part of the new plan that was carried out, although the new posts proved tempor~ry. The second feature of the plan, the counter-colonization of Texas by Mexicans and Europeans to offset the preponderance of Anglo-Americans, proved a complete failure. The instability of the Mexican Government discouraged European settlers and made them hesitate to accept the liberal invitations to try to make a new start under such conditions. Mexicans were frankly not interested. In vain did the Government offer free lands, transportation, and subsistence allowances for a year. The hardships of frontier life and the dread of the wild Indians of the North proved too strong a deterrent. Even the jails were combed for volunteers. It seems the prisoners preferred the relative security of their confinement to the dangers of a free life in Texas. Settle- ments of retired soldiers around the newly established posts planned in connection with the garrisons of the newly created posts received 52 Lucas Alaman, lnic;ativa de Le,y ... , Febrero 8, 1830, reprinted in Filisola, Memorias ,Para la Guerra d11 Tejas, Appendix, I, 590-612.
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